The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction against the federal project labor agreement mandate on April 21, 2026.
11th Circuit affirms denial of injunction against Biden-era executive order requiring PLAs on federal jobs of $35 million or more
A project labor agreement mandate on large federal construction projects will remain in place after a federal appeals court rejected a challenge from a national contractor group, Human Resources Director America reported.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on April 21 affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction against the mandate, which applies to federal construction contracts valued at $35 million or more under Executive Order 14063, issued by former President Joe Biden in February 2022.
Writing for the court, Chief Judge William Pryor held that the president has broad discretion under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to set policies considered necessary for an efficient federal procurement system, and that the PLA executive order has a close connection to the ordinary hiring and management of labor on federal projects.
The ruling is notable in part because the Trump administration defended the Biden-era rule in court, a rare instance of the current administration backing a labor policy inherited from its predecessor. Earlier this year, the Office of Management and Budget confirmed the administration supports PLAs on federal construction projects when they are practicable and cost effective, and barred blanket deviations from the requirement.
Project labor agreements are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements that set consistent wages, benefits, work rules and dispute-resolution procedures across every contractor and subcontractor on a construction project before work begins. Supporters say the agreements bring schedule certainty, safety standards and a skilled workforce to large, complex public projects.
The case, Associated Builders and Contractors Florida First v. General Services Administration, is one of several pending legal challenges to the federal PLA mandate. The 11th Circuit decision leaves the executive order in full effect as litigation continues.
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